How WSDOT I-5 Construction Impacts Regional Transit Connections in Skagit and Whatcom Counties

While I certainly don’t commute daily by transit between Bellingham and Seattle, after a year or so of using the series of County Connector buses semi-regularly, I’ve learned the various peculiarities, pitfalls, and joys of relying on Routes 80X and 90X via Mount Vernon and Everett. If you’re not in a rush, the County Connector buses operated by Skagit Transit and the Whatcom Transit Authority along the Interstate 5 corridor can be a nice alternative to driving while also avoiding crowded Amtrak Cascades trains and buses. 

People who drive I-5 regularly and value speed above everything else in life will likely never appreciate how the County Connector buses are a vital lifeline for many of their neighbors in Skagit and Whatcom counties who don’t drive, aren’t able to, or can’t afford the high costs of car ownership. As I’ve found first hand, these buses connect people to their jobs, school, medical appointments, families, and friends. They help bridge the gap when Amtrak Cascades, Flix, and Greyhound are sold out or when people’s cars break down and they either can’t afford the repairs or there’s a significant backlog at auto repair shops. 

With the County Connector buses, I’ve learned to sink into Skagit Transit’s comfortable, cushioned seats on the 90X where I can recline, catch up on reading and emails while cruising along I-5 without worrying about driving. (From my bus view, it’s also disheartening to see a not insignificant number of I-5 drivers casually using their smartphones while they’re driving. If you do drive, please concentrate on driving, not TikTok!)

I’ve discovered that the peanut butter "Brookie" brownies at Dietrich Espresso at Everett Station, baked by The Sweet Life Bakery, can be a tasty treat when making a bus connection. And with enough schedule planning, you can also fit in a delicious meal at Tacos Tecalitlan across the way from the Chuckanut Park & Ride in Burlington. And there are joyous moments when a bus you’re on is running behind schedule but it ends up making it just in time to make a seamless transfer to the next bus in the County Connector series. 

While the vast majority of my County Connector bus experiences have been fairly routine and ordinary, I also have some growing concerns about the reliability of these buses for those making transit connections in Mount Vernon, especially as Washington State Department of Transportation fish passage culvert construction ramps up between Bellingham and Everett along I-5. 

In recent months, I’ve had far too many close calls where I’ve nearly missed a bus connection at Skagit Station in Downtown Mount Vernon due to a late-arriving 90X bus from Everett. One of the nice things about the County Connector buses is that you can ask the driver to call ahead to request transit dispatch hold a connecting bus if things are running behind schedule. But they can only hold a bus so long without leading to cascading schedule impacts elsewhere.

But on two recent Fridays in a row, my good fortune ran out where I was temporarily marooned at Skagit Station in Mount Vernon when the northbound 90X from Everett was running behind schedule and there wasn’t enough buffer time to make the transfer to the 80X. In one instance, I only missed it by 5 minutes. The other time it was 10 minutes.

While these situations were annoying, I wandered over to Skagit River Brewing, across the railroad tracks, to pass 50-55 minutes until the next bus. A bartender said my situation was familiar: “That happens fairly regularly.” (Alternatively, you can take the 90X to the aforementioned Tacos Tecalitlan in Burlington for some delicious chicharron tacos to wait for the 80X to Bellingham.) 

The reasons why these missed connections and close calls happen, especially with the northbound 90X, is fairly simple: Traffic congestion.   

While Skagit Transit, which operates the 90X, can’t do much about traffic in Snohomish County — nor the State Route 529 drawbridges crossing the Snohomish River Delta, one of which opened during Friday’s evening rush hour on May 30, leading to my missed connection in Mount Vernon — it may be worth revisiting the 90X schedule and if there’s any flexibility, adjust it to build in just a little more buffer room, especially with the fish passage construction work near Stanwood at Secret Creek that is causing northbound afternoon backups.

Unlike the 90X, the 80X has been less vulnerable to traffic congestion on I-5. But that may be changing soon with WSDOT fish passage construction work ramping up at six locations in the Chuckanut Mountains near Lake Samish — four directly on I-5 and two sites on roads adjacent to the freeway. During certain phases of construction, northbound and southbound traffic on I-5 will share the same roadway, with one lane in either direction. That construction squeeze through the Chuckanuts will certainly impact all traffic during peak travel times, buses included. 

“Unfortunately, due to our operational constraints it’s very difficult for us to add buffer time or create new schedules in advance of anticipated disruption,” WTA service planner Becky Kelly told me in an email. “That said, when delays do occur, we do our best to respond in real time. If driver availability allows, we may be able to deploy a relief driver so the next trip can begin on time. This helps prevent delays from compounding throughout the day.”

(Skagit Transit customer service hasn’t responded to my inquiry about WSDOT impacts on the County Connector bus service reliability, but I’ll update this post if they do and have anything to add.)

Fortunately, the worst of WSDOT’s construction in the Chuckanuts, when there will be one lane in either direction in the vicinity of Lake Samish to construct a bypass roadway, will be relatively concentrated. Plans include a 15-day closure for the southbound lanes followed by a 12-day closure for the northbound lanes. WSDOT, according to its project page, has advised: “Travelers should expect extended back-ups during this time.”

My advice: County Connector bus riders should also plan for delays, close calls, and potential missed connections in Mount Vernon. 

Although WSDOT’s fish passage culvert construction work at I-5 and Meridian Street near Bellis Fair Mall scheduled to ramp up next year won’t disrupt the County Connector buses, that work will impact service along WTA's Route 15 via Meridian Street. Since Route 15 buses often turn into Route 14 buses at Bellingham Station, WSDOT construction-related congestion near Bellis Fair Mall could cascade WTA bus delays south into Downtown Bellingham, through Western Washington University's campus and all the way to Fairhaven.

Kelly noted that “when construction involves flaggers, we make a concerted effort to communicate with the contractors and request that buses be given priority to get through. While this isn’t always possible, it can sometimes help us stay closer to the schedule.”

While these construction impacts on transit can't be avoided, hopefully they can be mitigated.